After months of rumor and supposition, the Rolling Stones have announced they will mount a world tour to celebrate their upcoming 40th anniversary.
So far, there are no details regarding when the trek will start and whether it will be a full-blown extravaganza or a more intimate affair.
The legendary rockers started playing together in London in 1962, but their roots go back to 1950 when vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards met in primary school. Of course, they weren’t rocking at the time, but after the two ran into each other a decade later and discovered they had a mutual interest in blues and American R&B, they decided to put a band together.
With guitarist Brian Jones, bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts, they released their first two records in 1964: England’s Newest Hitmakers/The Rolling Stones, which featured a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and 12 X 5, with its chart-topping Norman Meade song “Time Is on My Side.”
Since then, the Stones have been a fixture on the rock music scene. Even when the band goes on hiatus to allow for Jagger’s solo projects, the Rolling Stones are never forgotten. Though five years elapsed between the release of 1989’s Steel Wheels and 1994’s Voodoo Lounge and another three years passed between Lounge and Bridges to Babylon, the band managed to span the gaps with live releases.
At this point, it doesn’t look like the band will be touring behind a new record, although there are tentative plans to record something after the tour, a band spokesperson said.
But while the Stones won’t have a new record out this year, Jagger will release his fourth solo LP, Goddess in the Doorway, on November 20.
Two days later, ABC will air the one-hour Thanksgiving special “Being Mick,” featuring appearances by Bono, Pete Townshend, Wyclef Jean and Lenny Kravitz, all of whom made guest appearances on Jagger’s record.
Footage for the program was shot over the past year by documentarian Kevin MacDonald, who won an Oscar for the film “One Day in September.” MacDonald filmed the Stones frontman in a variety of settings including studios in London and Miami and Jagger’s London home.
Highlights include Jagger on the set of “Enigma,” the first film he has produced on his own; relaxing on Mustique Island and on the French Riviera; and in the studio with his daughters singing background vocals. Jagger’s publicist said “Being Mick” may also include a special live performance.
